Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
ABBY
Istirred awake, my feet tickling a warm body beside me.
My eyes shot open.
Cooper.
Thank God it wasn’t a dream.
I was relieved to find him lying beside me, unclothed and sheathed in the glow of the sunrise filtering in through my curtains.
I took a moment to gaze at him, my breath catching, my heart fluttering at his sheer existence.
Titillating memories swept through me, memories of Cooper moving inside me, our eyes locked together, something all-consuming passing between us.
The way he’d held me, clung to me, like I was his.
The way he’d made me feel safe, protected.
Cherished.
Something had happened. Something bigger than us both. It was so much more than physicality, and I was certain he felt it, too.
Cooper roused, his body stretching out beneath the covers. I watched as the bed sheets dipped down his torso, revealing his exposed hipbone.
Lord have mercy—he was a work of art.
I wondered if he even knew it. If he did, he didn’t seem to care. Finally opening his eyes, Cooper’s lids fluttered, adjusting to the light of day. I couldn’t help but stare, eager to catch his reaction when reality came crashing down on him.
He blinked, and then turned his head toward me.
There it is.
My grin crested like the morning sun, my head propped up on one hand as I clutched the sheets to my chest with the other. “Good morning, Officer.”
He registered my presence, and a smile winged up. “Good morning.” Gravel stole his voice, causing it to rumble with grit.
So hot.
I sighed as my eyes caressed him. “I could get used to this, you know.”
“Me, too.” He rolled onto his side, fully facing me. Our eyes locked as we both replayed the memories from the night before. “Do you always look this pretty in the morning?”
Blushing, I ducked my chin with a laugh. “You’re just trying to get lucky again, aren’t you?”
“Is it working?”
“A little.” Inching my body toward him, I added, “But I’m sorry to say it’s going to take more than morning-after compliments and flattery.”
Cooper matched my position until we met in the middle of the bed. “Is that so?”
I nodded. “My performance is always so much better after cupcakes.”
“You want me to make you cupcakes?” He laughed.
“Make them, buy them, pull them out of a hat…I’m not picky.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
“There’s one more thing,” I muttered before leaning in and giving him a light kiss on the lips. “A promise.”
His eyes drifted across my face, his lips curling into a smile. Raising a hand to my cheek, he pulled me back to him and kissed me harder. A moan broke through when his tongue begged for entry. I let him in, my body molding against his as our kiss deepened.
My breaths were coming quick and heavy when I moved away. “Promise first.”
“You’re killing me,” he said, his tone gruff and laced with lust.
Grinning wickedly, I pressed my lips to his ear. “Promise me you’ll do that thing with your fingers again.”
He shuddered as his hand traveled down my hip, then landed between my legs. I squirmed, a gasp hitching in my throat.
“This thing?”
His eyes were fixed on me, watching my expression carefully.
My lips parted, a whimper escaping when his fingers slipped inside of me and curled.
I bucked my hips toward him, my skin flushed with heat, my body already quivering with anticipation.
“Uh-huh,” I managed to squeak out, my forehead falling to his shoulder.
Cooper wrapped his arms around my waist, then rolled me on top of him. I straddled his hips as my hair fell around us like a golden shield to the outside world.
I’d be content staying right here forever. Nothing else existed.
I cupped his cheeks with both hands and kissed him again, savoring the sounds he made when I ground my core against his erection.
“What about the cupcakes?” he murmured, pulling away, breathless.
I gazed at him, my heart dancing. “What cupcakes?”
A grin spread across his face as he tugged me back down. His palms skated up my spine as our mouths fused together and our bodies entwined.
Bliss.
Cooper
Evening had fallen once again, and Abby was in the kitchen making a late-night snack. We hadn’t accomplished much that day, aside from sex, food, more sex, and…well, that was pretty much it. I had a hard time remembering another time in my life when I’d felt this relaxed.
At peace.
I’d scoped out her property a few times throughout the day, looking for suspicious activity, but nothing had appeared out of the ordinary. Now that the sun had set, I planned to keep a closer eye on things, in-between trying to keep my hands off Abigail Stone.
I watched as she fumbled with the omelet while perched in front of the stove, then I chuckled when she cursed under her breath. She’d already burnt the first batch.
“I’m normally an exceptional omelet maker,” Abby said with frustration, dumping the charred eggs into the garbage can. “I’ve perfected the flavor, consistency, and even the flip. This is your fault.”
I came up behind her, encircling my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest. “What did I do?” I wondered, bending forward and kissing her neck.
She instinctively fell into my embrace with a soft sigh. “You’re distracting me.”
“Mm.”
“Your face, your body, and…what is that cologne you’re wearing?”
Laughing, I squeezed her tighter. “I haven’t even showered today. I smell like yesterday and sex.”
“Best cologne ever.” She twisted around to look up at me, her gaze turning pensive as her eyes flicked across my face. “Do you have any regrets?”
I frowned, noting the flash of worry that stole her expression.
Regrets.
There was not a single piece of me, not a wavering breath or wandering thought, that carried an ounce of regret.
I knew that our relationship had crossed a professional line, and still, I’d never felt more certain of anything before.
But I wasn’t ready to confess how deep my feelings truly ran.
It was too new, too fresh, too complicated.
I decided to keep the mood light, pushing her gently back against the stove.
“Does it seem like I have regrets?” I grinned, folding her hair over her shoulder and peppering more kisses along her throat.
Abby let out a breathy gasp and arched into me. “No…” she whispered. Then she giggled. “What’s with our steamy encounters against appliances?”
She scrunched up her nose, and I kissed her forehead and stepped away, laughing as I reached for the carton of eggs. “I’ll help you cook,” I offered. “It’s the least I can do after my regrettable actions that distracted you.”
“Unforgivable.” She stepped in front of the sink and pulled out a clean plate, drying it off with a dish towel. When she moved back toward the stove, her eyes lifted, settling on the window in front of her.
A look came over her.
The plate slipped.
I watched it shatter across the kitchen tiles.
“Cooper…outside.”
I followed her gaze and spotted a shadow of a man darting toward the side of her property. My instincts thrummed, my body reacting, and I gripped my weapon still secured behind my back. “Stay here,” I ordered before racing out her back door.
I rushed at the trespasser who quickly spotted me and gave chase. The man was partially illuminated by the light coming from Abby’s house and was dressed in all black, wearing a ski mask. I pointed my gun at him. “Freeze!”
The subject came to an abrupt stop, holding his arms up in surrender.
Who the hell was this motherfucker?
My gait slowed as I cautiously approached.
It wasn’t The Withered Man—I could tell by the height and body frame. “Turn around,” I demanded. The man obeyed and gradually spun to face me. “Are you armed?”
He shook his head.
“Take off your mask.” I was gaining traction, both hands held firmly around the gun. The man hesitated. “Now!”
“All right, all right. Just don’t fuckin’ shoot, okay?”
My eyes narrowed when I recognized the voice.
Oh, hell no.
The man tugged off the mask and dropped it at his feet.
Marky.
Lyle Kravitz’s punk of a little brother.
Jesus Christ.
“What the hell are you doing on Abby’s property?” I bit out, still moving forward, aiming the gun at Marky.
“I was just messing around. It was a prank. A stupid joke,” he stammered, cowering as I advanced on him.
“Did you leave the bird?”
Marky gulped. “C’mon, McAllister. I can’t go back to jail.”
“Did you leave the goddamn bird?” My tone bordered on demonic.
“Okay! I left the fuckin’ bird, all right? It didn’t mean anything.”
My jaw clenched, body stiffening as his words sunk in. I methodically returned the gun to the hem of my jeans.
Then I stormed at Marky, grabbing him by the shirt collar, his face mere inches from mine.
“You son of a bitch. Why would you do something like that?” I shook him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Marky tried to pull himself free, but my grip was unrelenting. “I don’t got shit to do in this town. I heard Lyle talking about the case and that ‘Little Bird’ thing, and I thought it would be—”
“A good idea to terrorize a traumatized woman? To waste police time and resources?” I seethed, my blood flowing with fire. “You sick bastard.”
“It was stupid. I’m sorry.”
I contemplated my next move. Every cell in my body wanted to slam my fist right between his eyes, but my better judgment won out. I let go of his shirt, tossing him backward and watching him stumble. “Don’t fucking move.” Pulling out my cell phone, I called for backup.
Abby tiptoed out through the patio door a few moments later, looking tentative and fearful. “Cooper?”
“It’s okay, Abby. You’re not in danger.” I called my department and told Faye to send the guys over to pick up Lyle’s scumbag brother, then returned my attention to the perpetrator.
“You, stay put. I see trespassing and obstruction of justice charges in your very near future. Maybe we can throw in an animal cruelty charge, too.”
“It was already dead, man! It’s not like I killed the thing.”